2020 What Car? Reliability Survey: family SUVs
In our exhaustive annual survey, we reveal how dependable cars up to five years old are, based on the experiences of 13,000 owners...

What went wrong? Non-engine electrics 5%, air-con 3%, exhaust 3%, interior trim 3%
If you want a dependable X1, pick a petrol model. Just 8% of petrol-engined X1s suffered a fault, compared with 25% of diesels. All of the cars we were told about remained driveable and were fixed in less than a week, and all work was done for free.
Owner’s view “After two years, my car still looks and feels like new. It’s been 100% reliable and the build quality is excellent”

Reliability rating 97.9%
Although petrol Karoqs suffered more faults than diesels (14% versus 7%), the petrol versions could all still be driven, unlike two-thirds of diesels. The petrols took less time to repair, too. Engine and non-engine electrics were the main troublespots, followed by a small percentage of issues with interior trim. All of the affected cars could still be driven; four out of five were repaired in less than a week, and all work was done under warranty.

Reliability rating 97.7%
Owners told us that 19% of Mokkas went wrong, with engine electrics and the exhaust the main areas of concern. All of the troublesome cars remained driveable and two-thirds were rectified in a day or less. Even better, all work was done for free.
Least reliable family SUVs

Reliability rating 82.8%
What went wrong? Bodywork 12%, brakes 12%, engine electrics 8%, non-engine electrics 8%, air-con 6%, engine 6%, battery 2%, fuel system 2%, infotainment/sat-nav 2%, suspension 2%
The original Evoque isn’t ageing well, with owners telling us 35% of their cars have gone wrong in the past year. Around a quarter were rendered undriveable and more than a third took more than a week to put right. While 95% of the remedial work was done for free, a small percentage of repair bills ranged from £300 to more than £1500.
Owner’s view “Reliability has been atrocious; I’ve had problems with oil dilution into the engine and particulate filter failure with no warning”

Reliability rating 87.0%
Few of the cars we were told about had a higher proportion of faults than the Qashqai, with 40% of them going wrong. The battery and non-engine electrical systems caused the most problems, followed by the brakes, exhaust and interior trim. Most of the stricken cars could still be driven, but more than a quarter spent a week or longer in the garage. On the bright side, four out of five of them were fixed for free and no repair bills topped £300.

Reliability rating 88.4%
E-Pace owners reported that 22% of their cars had suffered a fault, with the engine and its electrical components being the main culprits. There were also issues with non-engine electrical systems, including the air-con and infotainment, and some problems with the brakes, gearbox/clutch and fuel system. Although two-thirds of the afflicted cars could still be driven, a third languished in the garage for more than a week. While 93% of repairs were done for free, a small percentage of owners paid up to £750.
The 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey is open; tell us about your car
Reliability for family SUVs aged up to five years old
Rank | Make and model | Score |
---|---|---|
1. | BMW X1 petrol 2015-on | 98.1% |
2. | Skoda Karoq petrol 2018-on | 97.9% |
=3. | Vauxhall Mokka petrol 2012-2019 | 97.7% |
=3. | Mercedes GLA 2014-2020 | 97.7% |
5. | Volvo XC40 petrol 2017-on | 97.5% |
=6. | Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 2013-on | 96.7% |
=6. | Skoda Karoq diesel 2018-on | 96.7% |
=8. | Kia Sportage 2016-on | 96.4% |
=8. | Volvo XC40 diesel 2017-on | 96.4% |
10. | BMW X1 diesel 2015-on | 95.6% |
11. | Hyundai Tucson 2015-on | 95.3% |
12. | Volkswagen Tiguan petrol 2016-on | 94.9% |
=13. | Volkswagen Tiguan diesel 2016-on | 94.3% |
=13. | Seat Ateca 2016-on | 94.3% |
15. | Audi Q3 2011-2018 | 92.8% |
16. | Peugeot 3008 petrol 2017-on | 91.5% |
17. | Peugeot 3008 diesel 2017-on | 89.8% |
18. | Vauxhall Grandland X 2018-on | 89.5% |
19. | Audi Q3 2018-on | 89.0% |
20. | Range Rover Evoque 2019-on | 88.7% |
21. | Renault Kadjar 2015-on | 88.6% |
22. | Jaguar E-Pace 2017-on | 88.4% |
23. | Nissan Qashqai petrol 2014-on | 87.7% |
24. | Nissan Qashqai diesel 2014-on | 86.1% |
25. | Range Rover Evoque 2011-2019 | 82.8% |
< Previous | Next: Most and least reliable large SUVs >
Page 6